Light One Candle
by KristosLilly
Summary: Multiple couples... 25 days ... 50 short stories ... (Heavily AU)... Come spend the holidays with KristosLilly and BoandNora-ItsOneWord as we revisit our favorite soap opera town of Llanview, PA!
1. Day 1

**Day 1 - Decorating**  
 **Natalie Buchanan and John McBain**  
**Written by KristosLilly**

"Spreading holiday cheer everywhere you go, huh," John murmured as he came to stand beside her.

Natalie smiled at him as she tossed another piece of tinsel on to the display. She had gotten the idea to decorate the police station on a whim just that morning. She supposed it was her way of thanking everyone for all that they did all year round to make her job easier.

"Fortunately for me, my mom had all of this stuff just sitting in the attic collecting dust and was only too happy to share it with me." She stood back to admire her handiwork. "How does it look?"

John's lips twitched. "Uh, festive."

"You hate it."

"Well I've never been much of a Christmas lover but it looks pretty nice to me."

"You're lying, but I'll take it. To be honest, I didn't used to like Christmas either. Growing up in Atlantic City with Roxie… Well, there wasn't a whole lot to celebrate, you know. But now here with my family, I appreciate all that the holiday represents. Plus people just seem nicer at this time of year, don't you think?"

"Well the crime rate is down lately," John allowed. He rocked on his heels. "So what are you doing for the holidays?"

"Mom is throwing a huge dinner party and I'm helping to put it together… You should come."

John nodded, completely surprising her. "Yeah, I just might."

Natalie's heart did flip flops in her chest. The way he was looking at her… It was indescribable but it made her feel warm and at peace, feelings that she hadn't enjoyed in so long. She had truly thought that they were never going to get back this ease between them. But now that he and Evangeline were splitsville, maybe there was hope for them to be friends again.

She hoped. Oh she hoped. She shouldn't hope, but she couldn't help it.

"6:30 P.M., Christmas Eve at Llanfair. Be there," Natalie said and then, offering him a smile, went about trimming the tree next. She felt him watching her the whole time from his office doorway though she knew that he would deny it if anyone accused him of doing it.

She smiled. Maybe all was not lost after all.

* * *

 **Day One- Holiday Cards** **  
Molly Buchanan and Jonathon Manning**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

 **A/N: Molly is the daughter of Bo and Nora and Jonathon is the son of Marty and Todd.**

"Jonathon, you've been staring at that page for almost an hour," Molly observed." Can't you think of anything to say to your father? It's Christmas."

"The season of Miracles right," he joked, as he turned to look at his girlfriend? She was smiling brightly at him, and it did his heart good, knowing that for so long she hadn't had a reason to smile at all.

"You don't have to offer him an olive branch Jonathon. I'm just saying…maybe you should try to think of something small…Regardless of who he is, he's still your father."

"What if I don't think of him that way anymore?"

"Is this about me…please don't hate your father because of me. He wasn't the one who hurt me."

"But he hurt _your_ mother and mine…and when I think about everything I know about being a good man, it has nothing to do with anything I learned from Todd Manning. If he was a good man, he wouldn't have forced himself on at least two women I know."

Molly draped her arm around her boyfriend's shoulder and kissed his cheek. "I didn't say he was a good man…I said he was your father. You can't change that. Maybe you could just tell him…"

"Not to rape any more women," he said.

"Is that the best you can think of," she challenged.

"Well," he said, pausing as he looked at Molly—"I suppose I could thank him for staying away."

"That's better," Molly agreed. "But come on…you can't honestly think of something nice to say…just for today. The whole point of these cards is to spread the holiday cheer."

He brushed the stray hair out of her face as he gently kissed her lips…She giggled as she pretended to break away from him. "My parents are upstairs Jonathan. You don't want to make my dad come down here do you?."

"Oh please no," he joked, knowing perfectly well that Molly was serious. It was a minor miracle that he had even allowed the boy into his home without them supervising. "He'd kill me."

"Exactly," Molly agreed. "So get back to that Card. No kissing is allowed…for now."

She climbed off his lap and went back to her own cards. Jonathon just looked at her and smiled. He had to be the luckiest man in the world. He was in love with an Angel.


	2. Day 2

**Day 2 - Holiday Cards** **  
Tina Lord and Cordero "Cord" Roberts**  
*Written by KristosLilly*

 ** _London, England_**

Tina was nervous and she didn't _do_ nervous. As a rule. She was also freezing cold. As she bounced from foot to foot on high heels, she wished that she had foregone vanity for once in favor of donning much warmer clothing. But she had wanted to look good - no, amazing; somehow hoping that it would win her brownie points with her children… And Cord. Yes she had missed him too. So much, in fact.

Tina took a deep breath and finally knocked. She waited about a full minute before she was rewarded with the sounds of approaching footsteps. God willing, there was a big old fire blazing in the hearth tonight. God willing, Cord would even let her near it. Hell, she just hoped he didn't throw her off the porch.

Her breath caught in her throat as Cord opened the door and his big, beautiful dark eyes narrowed on her. God, but he was still so damned handsome.

 _"_ _Tina?"_ Cord said. His voice was full of awe. "Is that you?"

"Yes, yes, it's me, Cord," Tina said. She went to hug him - it was an instinctive move - but he stepped back.

"No, no, don't you do that."

"Cord…"

"What are you doing here, Tina? Actually, never mind. I have nothing to say to you. Just go."

Tina had expected this reaction but it still cut. "Cord, fine, be angry as you want, but-"

"I don't need your permission to be angry, Tina! Now get off my porch."

Tina shook her head. "I can't do that."

 _"_ _Tina…"_ Cord growled low in his throat.

"I am here to see the kids, Cord. I've missed them terribly."

"Oh have you now?" Cord shook his head. "Were you missing them when CJ was in that car accident where he broke both of his arms? Were you missing them when Sarah was nearly - " he choked up -"killed last year by some psycho?"

"Of course I missed them. I'm their mother."

"Then where the hell were you, Tina? _Where?"_

"I was … Look it doesn't matter, alright? The point is that they want me here now."

"Ha!" Cord said. "They don't even talk about you anymore."

"Maybe they don't talk to me but they _do_ write me all of the time. Look, I just got this Christmas card from Sarah," Tina said, pulling a small card with a dancing Snoopy on the front out of her bag. She held it up triumphantly.

Before she could protest, Cord had snatched the card from her hand. "Cord!" She cried out, trying to grab for it. He held it out of her grasp as he read it.

"'Mommy, I love you and miss you. Please come home for Xmas. Please!'" Cord read. He looked at Tina incredulously. "Sarah hasn't written like this or called you 'Mommy' since she was seven. This is from _years ago._ Have you no shame, Tina?"

Tina grabbed for the card, ripping it from Cord's hand and tucking it back inside her five hundred dollar handbag. "The point is that I want to see my children, Cord, and I won't let you stand in my way."

"Why do you want to see them, Tina? So you can just turn around and walk out on them in a week or two?"

"Cord, I won't do that. Not again. I know I've made some mistakes -" Cord harrumphed - "Alright _a lot_ of mistakes but you know I love my children more than anything. Nothing is going to stop me from seeing them - certainly not you."

"Why now? Why do you want to see them now?"

"I've missed them, isn't that enough?" Tina asked.

"It's not. You always have some kind of ulterior motive."

"Not this time."

"Uh huh…"

"Cord, you are so insufferable! Now let me inside to see my children or I will never speak to you ever again."

"Fine by me."

 _"_ _Cord!"_

He sighed. "They're not even here right now. There's some holiday party in Notting Hill and that's where they both went."

Tina nodded. "Then I'll wait."

"Not in here, you won't."

"Do you really expect me to wait in my car? I'll freeze to death!"

Cord seemed to be considering the idea for an inordinately long period of time, then sighed. "Fine, come in here but don't get too comfortable."

Tina said nothing but had to bite down a triumphant smile. Cord never could say "no" to her very well. She was so glad that some things never changed.

* * *

 **Day Two- Ice Skating** **  
Jessica Buchanan and Cristian Vega**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

She was lacing up her ice skates as she looked over at her five year old daughter Megan, who was happily giggling as her father spun her around on the ice. It was hard to believe they had come this far sometimes...or that her parents hadn't killed him for making her an early mother. Now it was hard to imagine a time when her precious Megan didn't exist.

"You got room for another," Jessica asked, as she joined her family on the ice rink?

"Of course," Cristian offered, and was soon joined by the energetic pleas of a little girl who was happily calling for her 'Mommy.'

"Let me see what you can do princess," Cristian said, and the little girl skated off on her own. Jessica's smile became brighter as she watched her daughter circle the rink like she had been doing this for years. Cristian pulled the small white beanie over his wife's head as she shivered.

"I love you," she said, as she nuzzled her nose against his. "I love our family."

He wrapped his arms around her waist as he held her close and they watched their daughter.  
"Look how happy she is," Jessica added? "Can you believe this is our life? All of our beautiful dreams...they're coming true."

"The only dream I ever had since meeting you was loving you and making a family with you...everything else was just the icing on the cake...so yes...I can believe this is our life...you and Megan _are_ my life. I love you so much Jess."

"I love you too."

They spent a moment or two getting lost in the wonderment of their love...their lips coming together in the most intense kiss...the kind of kiss that still lingered on your lips even after the moment ended. And then, with their breaths uneven and their hearts beating rapidly, they chased after their daughter. It truly was a season of Miracles. She had been their miracle from the very first moment they knew she existed. She continued to be their miracle every day.


	3. Day 3

**Day Three - Shoveling snow** **  
Agnes Burke and Antonio Vega**  
*Written by KristosLilly*

 _A/N: Agnes (of the funny name) is my original female character "played" by chanteuse Cheryl Cole._

"Wow, aren't you just a regular Boy Scout," Agnes said as she walked out of her house one morning to discover her gorgeous Latin next door neighbor shoveling snow from her driveway.

"Just trying to be a good neighbor," Antonio said, offering her a soft smile.

"You know I actually believe that," Agnes allowed. "Any other guy … I'd just assume he was trying to get into my pants." Agnes smiled at Antonio. "I really appreciate this."

"No -" Antonio hefted a shovelful of snow into the gutter - "problem."

"You know," Agnes said, twining a strand of chestnut brown hair around her index finger, "I feel like I should thank you somehow."

"No worries," Antonio said, focusing on his work, maybe even more intently than was necessary.

"Okay, but maybe I want to. You should come over tonight for some spiced eggnog and stilted conversation," she teased. He seemed to be of few words, playing his cards close to the vest here.

"I can't. I'm taking my daughter to see The Nutcracker tonight."

"You have a daughter?" Agnes asked.

Antonio nodded. "Still want to hang out with me now?"

"Sure. I mean, why not? How old is she?"

"One and a half."

"And you're taking her to see The Nutcracker? Will she even understand what's going on?"

"Yeah. She's incredibly sharp, just like her mother was." He sighed. "Jamie is mature beyond her years."

"Oh…"

Antonio tucked his shovel under his muscular arm and surveyed his handiwork. "Think I've got it all."

Agnes nodded. "You did."

"I'll see you around then," he said, lifting his hand in a half-wave.

"Wait! I mean, just for a second. I really do want to thank you for what you've done."

"I just shoveled some snow. I didn't donate a kidney or anything."

"No, but you saved me from throwing out my back doing it," Agnes said. "That means a lot. Why not after The Nutcracker, you bring your daughter here for some hot chocolate and warm cookies?"

Antonio nodded slowly. "That should be okay."

"Great. I'd better start baking then," Agnes said and waving to him, she slipped back inside her house. She was actually really looking forward to tonight. She figured she had about twelve hours to learn how to bake.

 _No problem, right?_

* * *

 **Day Three - Christmas Tree** **  
Madison Buchanan and Jackson Holden**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

 _A/N: Madison is Molly's twin and the other daughter of Bo and Nora; Jackson is Max and Blair's son._

Madison had always been a little bit shy compared to her twin sister Molly...but ever since she realized that the boy she had crushed on since she was a girl was now working at the mechanic shop, she started to approach things a little different. She knew that Jackson would never make a move unless she did…

"Maddie," he called out from under one of the cars. It made her smile knowing that he could sense her presence even from under piles of rust.

"Hi Jack," she said, a little bashful. "Why don't you clean up a little and we can get going?"

"And where are we going," he asked, obviously taken aback by her forwardness?

"To get you a Christmas tree of course."

"Maddie…"

"Don't do that Jack...It's not going to work...I know you...I've known you since we were kids...I also know that you took the news of your mother's...how should we put this… 'coming out'...a little hard."

"You have a way with words don't you?"

She smiled as she reached for a towel on the counter and handed it to him. She watched as he dried the sweat off his face...and admired how good he looked without a shirt. "It's not the end of the world okay...just because your parents didn't make it…"

"So says the girl whose parents happen to have the most enviable relationship in town…"

"So what? Do you think it's been easy for them? My mother was raped. So was my sister. There was a time when they didn't even know if we were my dad's or…"

"The man who hurt her...Maddie I'm sorry. I know they haven't had it easy...but it's just...to the outside world, they look picture perfect...I mean your dad...he still opens the door for her...pulls out chairs for her to sit in…"

"Because he adores my mom and that's just the way he is...he's always been a gentleman...which is why...when I think about my life down the line...I'd want a man who respects a woman that way…my dad's a hard act to follow but I want that...I want what my parents have."

"And you deserve that…"

"Then respect me enough to humor me...let me help you pick out a tree so you can have a little bit of Christmas in your home...wherever that may be these days."

He smiled as he picked up his shirt and eyed her with a sort of awe in his eyes. "I think I'd let you talk me into anything right now," he admitted, because it was true. He knew it was a bad idea to want her this way but he just did...and he was done fighting it. "I'll be done in five minutes."

"Hurry up," she said. "It's snowing."

"Then I'll just have to keep you warm won't I," he admitted? She couldn't help but love the sentiment. She might have come over here to take him to get a tree but she ended up with so much more...she ended up with what Molly described as butterflies in your stomach. She certainly hadn't it bad now. There was no going back. _Could Jackson be her forever? She certainly hoped so._


	4. Day 4

**Day Four - Mistletoe** **  
CJ Roberts and Greenlee Smythe**  
*Written by KristosLilly*

 _A/N: Greenlee is of course, from OLTL's sister soap, All My Children. CJ is Cord and Tina's son. In my mind, adult CJ is played by actor Samuel C. Hunt._

 _ **Notting Hill, England**_

He hadn't expected to find himself positioned under the mistletoe yet again tonight. He'd had his turn with most the girls in the crowded club already. Somehow this one though … Well, she'd managed to slip under his radar until she was literally barreling into him, apparently trying to escape a handsy, forty-something guy who looked completely out of place here.

Oh, but she was gorgeous with that dark blonde hair. Petite, but filled out in all of the right places. He wanted to put his hands on those trim hips, raise her up onto her little pink-painted toenails that peeked out from expensive leather pumps, and press a scintillating kiss to her full lips.

"Would you look at that?" He pointed upwards where a sprig of mistletoe was placed just so in the archway.

The woman shook her head. "Don't get any ideas."

"You wouldn't want to buck tradition, now would you?"

"I am not a traditional sort of girl," she said. "And besides haven't you been slobbering all over at least a dozen other women tonight?"

CJ smirked. "So you were watching me?"

She got flustered, her cheeks colored. Adorable.

 _"_ _Hardly."_

"Then how do you know who I've been kissing on?"

"Because I know your type."

"Oh yeah? And what type is that?" He challenged.

"You're a player."

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Believe me, I've read that book and I'm not interested."

"You like me."

 _"_ _Hah!_ You're not even that cute."

CJ chuckled. "I kind of like this banter thing."

"I am not bantering. I'm _humoring_ you. There's a big difference." The haughty beauty looked around and spotted the handsy guy from before charging her way again like a heat-seeking missile.

"Oh no," she said. _"_ _Hide me!"_

CJ smiled as the gorgeous girl spun him around and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, tugging him close. She rose up on those cute little toenails of hers and reached for him, little fingers playing over the light stubble dusting his cheeks.

 _"_ _Kiss me,"_ she demanded.

She did not need to ask twice.

He dropped his head, moving low, tracing her plump lips with the pad of his thumb before going in for the kill. Her lips tasted of cherry-flavored lip gloss and were even softer than they'd appeared to be. He couldn't resist greedily devouring them, nibbling on the bottom one, as his hands slid down her sides to settle on her lean hips.

He smiled as he heard her moan. She parted her lips to allow his tongue entrance into her mouth. They might have kissed for five seconds or five minutes, he wasn't sure, but when they came up for air, they were both panting and her lips looked puffy and bruised.

"That was -" CJ started.

"He's gone!" the woman said.

CJ's head was still spinning. At first he didn't contemplate who she meant. Then he realized the middle-aged lecher had slipped out the door, no doubt seeking a new target.

"You used me," CJ said in a mock-hurt tone of voice.

"Of course I did. You don't think I wanted you… Oh no. You did."

He chuckled. "You were moaning the whole time."

She flushed. "That was - was a moan of pain."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." He backed up then. Time to let her come after him. "So see you around. Happy holidays and all of that."

She blanched. "Is that all?"

"Yeah. I mean, you didn't even enjoy the kiss." He started to turn around but stopped when she called to him.

"What's your name anyway?" She asked.

"CJ."

"What kind of name is that?" She asked.

"What's your name?" He turned the question around on her.

She sniffed. "Greenlee."

"What kind of name is _that?"_

"Oh shut up!" She spat in exasperation before turning on her heel and stomping outside.

He just smiled.

 _Best. Kiss. ever._

* * *

 **Day Four - Menorah** **  
Nora and Bo Buchanan**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

When she came home from a long day at work, she found her husband standing by the fire place with two glasses of champagne.

"Happy Hanukkah sweetheart," he said, and he thought he saw a hint of awe in her chocolate brown eyes, just before she dropped her purse and accepted his glass.

"You remembered," she stated, as she looked at him once more. It wasn't a question as much as it was an expression of gratitude. "I can't believe you did all this for me."

"I'm always going to remember the days that are important to you Red. I know you think I don't notice but I know hard you work every day...I see the sacrifices you make...and I just want you to know that I don't take them...or you...for granted."

She smiled that smile that always made his heart skip a beat and they put their glasses on the table. She walked over to the Menorah and picked up the first candle.

"Do you want to light it," she asked her husband? It was through all their years together that he had learned the meaning behind this festival of light.

"I would be honored," he said, and took the _Shamush_ candle out of her hand. She instructed him to place the first candle on the far right. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lit first the _Shamush_ candle and then the first one on the Menorah.

She recited the blessings in Hebrew as he then took her lead and said them in English. She had taught him well over the years.

 _"_ _Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik nerChanukah."_

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light. "

"Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-z'man ha-zeh. "

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time."

"Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh. "

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion."

When the blessings had ended, they took a moment to reflect on their own miracles this year. So much had happened...so much had gone right. She leaned over and kissed him passionately as she laid her head on his shoulder and they watched the flames of the Menorah.

"I'm so blessed to have you in my life cowboy. I know there have been so many trials over the years but I'm grateful that you never gave up on me...even when I was pushing you away."

He thumbed his finger across her cheek as he then took her face in his hands...kissing her hard and deep just after letting her see the depth of his love in his eyes. "Giving up on you...that doesn't work for me. I told you I would wait for the rest of my life and I meant that. I love you Red. You don't know how hard it was for me to watch you suffer all those years...not being able to help you…"

"But you did...you were my safe place...you held me night after night when I was too scared to sleep...you sat with me when I was shaking so bad I couldn't even speak...most men would have run screaming into the night...but you...it was you that got me through...you and our girls…"

"I can't believe it's been fifteen years since Manning attacked you at that beach house...since we wondered whether he could have been their father...I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't been mine…"

"I don't know what _I_ would have done either...the thought that we could have had a constant reminder of the worst night of my life...I'm so glad we never had to find out...I'm so relieved that you helped me hold on. And when Molly went through the same thing...I was so afraid I was going to go back to that dark place...that place where I was standing on the roof looking down...thinking about how easy it would be to just let go…"

"You scared the hell out of me then baby...you scared me because I don't know that my life would mean anything without you. I need you just as badly as you need me."

"I know," she agreed and he tugged her into his arms tightly, kissing her hair and telling her again how much he loved her. It was then that he reached for the small package.

"I think it's time for you to open your gift?"

Her eyes lit up with fire as she took the package from him. He enjoyed watching her tear open the paper just like a kid. When she saw what was in it, her eyes turned misty. "Oh Bo; it's beautiful," she said.

"Turn it over," he said, so she did. The necklace was sterling silver with the words 'Forever' written on the back. It was a Star of David locket. Inside was a picture of their wedding.

He took it out of the box and secured it over her neck as he kissed her. "I love you," they said in unison. There was a brief pause as she hooked her arms around his neck and asked if he wanted to play with the dreidel tonight.

"Let's save that for another time," he said, giving her a sly grin. "Right now, I can think of another game we can both win at."

"You are insatiable Buchanan," she stated.

"Damn right I am. You make me famished."

"Then let's eat," she joked.

Passionate kisses gave way to desperate hunger and Clothes were thrown over the couch as they made love beneath the fireplace with the menorah candles still burning. The most important lesson they had learned this year was that life wasn't always easy...take those moments of bliss as they come and make them last. They wanted to make this moment last forever. They would ride it as long as they could.


	5. Day 5

**Day Five - Snowballs and snowmen** **  
Marcie Walsh and Joey Buchanan**  
*Written by KristosLilly*

"Making a snowman, I see," Joey said as he surveyed her handiwork. The base and torso of the body were already prepared; now it just appeared to be lacking its head. "But I think you're missing something," he said, pointing to his own head.

Marcie smiled. "Oh you mean brains?"

Joey smirked. "I see someone woke up with their biting wit intact."

"Darn right I did," Marcie said. "And I am so going to win this competition if it kills me. The Llanview town council is awarding a two hundred dollar prize to the maker of the best looking snowman." Marcie looked up at him, fluttering her eyelashes. "Which reminds me, isn't your mother on the committee?"

Joey laughed. "Oh you don't actually expect me to put in a good word for you, do you?"

Marcie nodded. "Well that would be nice. I sure could use the money since my last novel was a bomb at the bookstores." She looked down for a moment. "I don't think anyone in the whole world bought it."

Joey puffed out his chest dramatically. "I will have you know that I not only bought it, I read it too."

"What?" Marcie asked in surprise.

"Yes, I really liked 'Dead and Buried'. Chapter Five was a particular favorite."

Marcie cocked her head to the side. "Chapter Five… Wait! That's the chapter where Darcy and Gabe get very naked. My editor totally made me put that in … But aren't you a priest?"

"I was a priest. Past tense. You don't see me sporting the collar anymore, do you?"

Marcie looked him up and down. "No, I guess not. But I thought that was your calling."

"I thought it was but things change."

"Is this about Jennifer leaving you for Rex?" Marcie asked, ever the perceptive one.

"Not… totally," Joey said. "My heart just wasn't in it anymore."

"Oh. Well, same goes for me and Michael. We broke up."

"I'm sorry."

Marcie shrugged. "Me too." She returned to packing snowballs. "Are you going to just stand there and stare or are you going to help me out here?"

Joey grinned. "As the son of a member of the town council, it would be wrong for me to assist in any way. That would give you an unfair advantage and my mother's partiality would be compromised."

"Oh you're so full of crap," Marcie said. "You just don't want to help." She shrugged. "Fine. Whatever."

"You're mad."

"I'm not mad," Marcie said. "Too busy for that." She then got a wicked gleam in her eye and held up the fair-sized snowball in her hand.

"Oh no, you don't."

"Oh yes, I do. It's your payback for refusing to help." Marcie then hurled the snowball at him. He managed to sidestep it but she was already packing another and still another and hurling them at him. Two hit him square in the jaw and they stung but he took it as a challenge.

"You're going to get it," Joey said, crouching to gather up some snow of his own.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh wouldn't I?" Joey said. "If I learned one thing from all that Bible study, it's 'eye for an eye, snowball for snowball.'"

"That's so cheesy," Marcie said.

"I'll give you a ten second head-start," he said as he rolled the snowball until it was almost bigger than his fist.

"Joeyyyyy, this is not very Christian of you at all. What happened to turning the other cheek?" She complained but he could hear a smile in her voice. She then turned and started running for the safety of the trees.

Joey loudly counted down from ten and then took off after her. She squealed as he spotted her behind a tree. She started to run again but Joey gave chase. He chased her up an embankment but slid back down when he realized that she was panting for breath. So was he for that matter.

Joey grabbed his chest and feigned being doubled over in pain. "Joey, are you okay?" Marcie asked, heading over to him. The concern ceased when he suddenly hurled the snowball at her. It connected with her ample chest. Joey laughed as she declared war on him. A full-scale snowball fight was soon in effect.

They tossed snowballs at each other like merry children for half an hour at least and then collapsed in the snow, side by side. They were both breathing heavily but smiling.

"That was fun," Joey said.

"I bet it's been a long time since you had any fun," Marcie said. "Being that you were a priest until about five minutes ago and so busy pouring over your dusty tomes."

Joey laughed. "It has been awhile since I enjoyed myself this much," he admitted with a smile. He turned on his side to look at her. Her cheeks were pink and an impossibly adorable smile played at her lips. He couldn't resist what he did next.

He kissed her, full on the lips. He felt her respond, grabbing the collar of his black overcoat.

They kissed for maybe half a minute but to Joey, it felt too short somehow. When they moved apart, Marcie touched her puffy lips. "Wow! I didn't know a priest could kiss like that!" she enthused.

"Well right now, I don't feel very much like a priest," he admitted and dove in for another kiss. Something had been building between them for some time now and here it was, finally being realized.

 _For the first time in ages, Joey felt at peace._

* * *

 **Day Five- Santa Claus** **  
Shaun Evans and Steffy Forrester (The Bold and the Beautiful)**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

Steffy liked to watch the children at the mall stand in line to see Santa Claus...the excitement on their faces evident as they finally made it to the lap of the big Jolly man. She liked to imagine coming here with her own child and watching with the same joyous wonder as she talked about what she wanted for Christmas...what she always wanted for Christmas...a daddy...except it was always then when the image was replaced by the unspeakable pain of losing her. She didn't have a daughter anymore. Her pregnancy had resulted in death.

 _Why did she still do this to herself...torture herself with things that could never be again? She lost Liam...she lost her baby...she lost everything._

She was just wiping away a stray tear when she felt someone handing her a handkerchief. When she looked up, she noticed it was the Santa Claus she had just been watching only minutes before.

"How do you do it," she asked? "How do you cause so many children to have hope?"

"You don't have Hope," he asked her?

"Not since I lost my daughter...lost my husband...lost everything. The only 'Hope' I have is my sister and she's the reason it all fell apart."

"That must hurt."

"It did at first...but now...now I'm just numb. When am I supposed to get my own happily ever after? When am I supposed to matter?"

"I've been asking myself that same question for years…"

"So you...you understand?"

"More than you know...my girlfriend left me for my brother."

She reached up and pulled at his beard…"Sorry, just making sure you were real. That's about the same thing that happened to me more or less…"

"And you didn't think anyone else understood? I know. I get it."

There was a pause as he motioned for her to hand him back the handkerchief. He wrote his cell phone number on it.

"Call me sometime...maybe we can go out for eggnog…"

She laughed...it was the first time she had laughed in so long...and it felt...good…

"Maybe I will Santa Claus…"

It was then that he realized he hadn't given her his name… And when he turned around to face her again, she was gone. He didn't know her name either. He only knew he liked her...liked her a lot more then he probably should. Women who got involved with Shaun Evans either broke his heart or ended up dead...at the moment, he wasn't sure which was worse.

When the long day of playing Santa Claus had finally ended, he found a note in his locker room. How she had found him was still a mystery. It simply said. "I like the Mystery Santa Claus. You're very good at this. See you soon."

 _And a smile crept to his face for the first time in a very long time..._ His mystery girl was planning on seeing him again. The thought of that made him happy...especially if he wasn't dressed in a red suit and white beard. He wanted her to like him for more than just the guy who put Hope in children's eyes. He wanted her to like him for him.


	6. Day 6

**Day Six - Carols**  
 **Tina Lord and Cordero "Cord" Roberts**  
*Written by KristosLilly*

 _ **London, England**_

Tina had taken over his life once more - and his bathroom, from the looks of it. He walked in there to see every variety of cosmetic, puff and feminine product known to womankind. He furrowed his brow in annoyance. She hadn't even been there three hours and already she was running roughshod over him.

He backed out of the bathroom and headed down the hall. _"_ _TINA!"_ He bellowed, heading for the kitchen where she had sequestered herself. He found her devouring a box of his favorite crackers. She was just making herself at home, wasn't she? Well he wouldn't stand for it!

Tina looked up at him. A little crumb lingered on her chin and he had the strongest urge to wipe it away, to touch her skin, and then he scolded himself. No, he wouldn't go near her. She would … she would pull him back in and he wouldn't - couldn't - allow that.

"Dammit, Tina!" Cord snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Eating," Tina answered as if it should be obvious. "The food they served on the plane … Well, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole."

"Those are _my_ crackers," he said, feeling decidedly territorial. "And this is my house and you don't get to come in here and -" He saw her looking towards the window now. "Tina, are you listening to me?

 _"_ _Tina?"_ He said again.

"Oh stop your bellowing, Cordero, and listen to the music," Tina said. She moved over to the frosted windowpane.

"What music?" He asked but now he heard it too. Soft voices in the distance, unified in singing "Good King Wenceslas." Young voices, from the sounds of it.

"Oh it sounds nice," Tina said. "Come over here and look at those precious kids."

"Precious kids?" Cord echoed. "Tina, you are going soft in your old age."

Tina glared at him. "I resent that. I am _not_ old! I still look exactly the same way I did when the kids were just babies."

Actually, she looked even better. She was aging like a fine wine, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

Tina grabbed Cord by the collar of his shirt and yanked him to the window with all of her might. He stood stiffly beside her, not saying anything. She looked up at him as the group of children broke into a rousing rendition of "Frosty, the Snowman."

"Even you can't stay mad, Cord," she said, "when you hear this. Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year. Now stop acting like The Grinch." She bumped him with her shoulder and heat shot up his arm to color his face.

Tina pressed her cute little nose to the glass. "I missed these things, with our kids," she said in a soft, mournful voice. "And you can berate me all you want for that but you can't make me feel worse than I already do. Why, Cord, they're adults now and I missed so much, being -"

"Selfish… self-involved… stubborn…"

She looked up at him and he was surprised to see tears misting her eyes. "All of those things and more. I've been a complete fool."

He wanted to snap at her, shout at her really, that indeed she had been and that she had no right to come here after all this time and try to play Family Woman but the words didn't materialize on his lips. He just stared at her. He felt as if he were seeing a whole new side of Tina and it honestly discombobulated him. Still, he couldn't let her too close, he couldn't let her in, because ultimately, she never learned her lesson.

He moved away from the window. The kids had paused right in his front yard and were now singing "Silent Night". He walked over to the counter and stubbornly shoved what was left of the crackers into the cupboard. He felt Tina watching him and he sighed.

"Tina?"

"Yes, Cord?"

"Why did you really come here after all of this time?"

"I told you, I missed my family. I missed all of you," she said.

"But why now?" Cord pressed. "You had years to come around and you didn't. There were large gaps in time when CJ and Sarah didn't see or hear from you. Now they're adults and -"

"And maybe they won't want a thing to do with me, but I have to try. Cord, I have to try."

"Why now?" He pressed. He could be every bit as stubborn as her.

"Because!" Tina shouted. "Because I realized that life is much too short and that all I wanted was to see my family." She splayed her hands. "When something awful happens, it puts your priorities into perspective, right?"

Cord lifted his eyes to look at her. "What awful thing happened? Did Cain leave you or something?"

Tina sniffled. "Actually he did when he found out-"

"Found out what? Come on, Tina. Explain. I think you owe me that much."

"When he thought there was a possibility I had … cancer… he couldn't handle it and he ran off to find his next con."

A thousand emotions immediately raced through Cord when he heard her say the word "cancer". He choked out, "You have cancer, Tina?"

"No, but the doctors _thought_ I did. Ultimately, the tumor turned out to be benign."

"Well thank god," Cord murmured, shoving a hand through his hair. He couldn't help himself. He could hate Tina but yet he couldn't imagine a world she wasn't in.

"Oh, Cord, the whole time all of the tests and procedures were happening, I was terrified, and so alone and I realized I had driven away everyone who ever tried to care about me. So don't you see - I had to come back here and try to make things right with CJ and Sarah...and you. Maybe it's not going to happen but I have to try. I don't want to be alone anymore. It doesn't suit me."

Tears were on Tina's cheeks. Never in all of his years of knowing her, of being frustrated by her, of loving her and hating her, had he ever seen her this vulnerable. He wanted to believe that she was just trying to pull one over on him - it would hurt him less; he could still be angry as he deserved to be - but he knew the truth. She wasn't lying for once. She had been alone and scared and no one knew.

"Oh, Tina, why didn't you call me?" Cord asked.

"Would you have cared? Would you have come to see me?"

"You should know the answer to that."

"But I've burned so many bridges…"

"You have," Cord said. "But maybe -"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe in some time you can try to rebuild those bridges."

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden, Cord?" Tina asked, swiping at her teary face. "Two minutes ago you were hollering at me about your damn crackers and now… You're looking at me … Almost like you used to."

"Maybe I just realized some things too," Cord said.

"Such as?"

"Tina, don't push me." He sighed. "I am just sorry you went through all of that alone, that you didn't feel you could call me. That you didn't know I'd be on the next plane ride out to hold your hand and tell you everything would be okay."

"Oh I would have loved that."

"You never gave me the opportunity, Tina."

"I sincerely thought you hated me, that you wouldn't give a damn, that I had ruined everything that once was."

"You don't trust me."

"Do you trust me?" She returned. She moved to him and touched his cheek. He tried to draw back but found he couldn't, hypnotized by the warmth of her fingers on his face.

"No, I would be a fool to do that," he said. Her face fell. "But I do believe in you, Tina. There's a big difference. Maybe I believe you're sincere and want to try to fix everything you broke."

"Can we try again, Cord? I love you, I still love you so much. It's always been you."

"Tina-" He started. His voice was hoarse.

"Okay, it's too soon, but just tell me… Tell me all hope isn't lost."

Cord sighed. "I don't want to make any promises, Tina. You hurt me and the children more than anyone ever has."

"I know," Tina said. "So I won't push. I promise I won't. Just don't push me out, Cord. Please. Let me try to make things right. Can't you do that?"

Cord's brain screamed at him to turn her down, to tell her he could never be with her again, but his heart was louder, demanding he say, "I won't push you out. But don't you hurt us again, Tina. I am asking you not to do what you've done before - cheat, lie, and then run away."

"I won't," Tina said. "I swear it. Can I stay, please?"

Cord sighed. "Fine, but you have to move your things to the bathroom downstairs. I don't walk in there and see all of that… lady stuff."

Tina smiled through her tears. "Alright, I can do that right now." She started to move away and then paused for a second. "Thank you, Cord."

Then she was gone and he found his heart aching for her, just like it always had.  
 _  
Damn his heart._

* * *

 **Day Six - Childhood Memories**  
 **Jennifer Rappaport and Rex Balsom**  
*Written by BoandNora-ItsOneWord*

He didn't want to make a big deal about Christmas…they had never been that important to him as a child. Christmas growing up with Roxy had always consisted of mornings spent wondering why Santa had never bothered to make it to their house and evenings spent watching her pass out drunk under the tree…and that was only when it was good. The years when his 'father' was still around, it could get a lot worse. If he was lucky he would get a candy bar from money that Natalie had someone managed to pull together….but that was only when they were still being raised as brother and sister… when he went to live with his aunt, it hadn't gotten much better…and the memories he had of his sister had been clouded by lies.

"What are you thinking about," Jen asked when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek? "Rex, what is it?"

"It's…It's nothing," he admitted.

"Nothing," she questioned, narrowing her eyes? "It is _not_ nothing…come on, tell me…I have ways of getting it out of you, you know?"

She moved her fingers to implicate what she had started using on their three year old daughter Isabeau, named after the man who had always been more Rex's father than anyone else…

"Not the pincher bug," Rex threatened, and she tackled him to the floor beneath the fireplace. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled at her…kissing her softly.

"I was just thinking how much I used to despise this holiday," he finally admitted. "I grew up with nothing Jen…I wasn't even allowed to have good memories of Santa Claus because all I knew was that I was never good enough for him to come."

"I didn't have the best memories either…I mean, how could I, when my father was obsessed with another woman, and my mom was…, well, a psychopath? I mean I didn't know it at the time but I did know that I spent most of my Christmases with my older brother wishing that we had a normal family…wishing that my parents actually gave a damn."

"I'm sorry Jen. I know that things have been rough for you."

"For you too…but hey, look on the bright side…we came through it. You never gave up on me Rex…You thought I was dead and you still didn't give up on me. You saved me from dying for real. I will never be able to repay you for that."

"You don't have to. All you have to do is love me."

"I do…and it feels so good to finally have the right role models in my life…I didn't think I was capable of real love before…but you…and even Natalie and Bo and Nora…all of their family…I finally feel like I belong…"

"You do belong…you belong to me and our little Beau. We need you Jen…So much."

"I need you too Rex. I don't want to go back to the person I was before I met you. I don't like that person. I like the person I am now…when I get to wake up next to you every morning and know that this time when we said I do, it was for the right reasons…it was because of love…Can you do me a favor sweetheart?"

"I'd do anything for you…"

"Then let's not think about those horrible memories…it's not who we are anymore. We have our own family now. We have a lifetime of making new memories…what do you say?"

"I say that….I love you…Is Beau asleep?"

"She is now…come on, let's go celebrate?"

She took his hand and started leading him up the stairs when he stopped and smiled at her…"What are we celebrating?"

"Whatever we want," she said. "I'm in a festive mood."

She gave him a seductive grin and he lifted her off the ground with one of his own. "You know suddenly I am too," he joked.

The only sound that could be heard moments later was the euphoric laughter coming from their bedroom as they made love throughout the night. All was finally right with their world.


End file.
